Elfshadow - Elaine Cunningham [111]
"Keep reading."
"Here is something you might find interesting," broke in Schoonlar. He handed Danilo a cracked, ancient parchment. "It gives the lineage of the sword of Zoastria."
Danilo accepted the scroll and carefully unrolled it. With a feeling of deep awe, Arilyn looked down at the fine writing. Before her were the names of her ancestors, elves who had carried the sword that was now strapped to her side. The half-elf had grown up without knowledge of her family, and the scroll represented the elven heritage that had been denied her. With a sense of reverence she touched a finger to the runes, gently tracing the thin lines that connected the elves. Danilo allowed her a moment before he resumed.
"Here's something. This says that Dar-Hadan, Zoastria's father, was a mage rather than a fighter, so he imbued the sword with blue fire to warn of physical danger."
"We know that already. Keep going."
They worked all day and long into the night, aided by the attentive Schoonlar. A fascinating picture emerged, a saga of elven heroes and the response the magic sword made to each. Finally they traced the line to Thasitalia, a solitary adventurer. The dreamwarning evolved so that she could sleep alone on the road without fear. From the date of Thasitalia's death, they gathered that she had been the great-aunt who had passed the sword to Amnestria. There was nothing about Amnestria in any of the records.
"The night's drawing to a close," Arilyn grumbled, "and we're no closer to finding the Harper Assassin. A waste."
Danilo stretched languidly. "Not entirely. We know what power each wielder granted your sword, with the exception of you and your mother."
"I will never add to the moonblade's magic," the half-elf said. "The moonstone is missing, and all magic originates in the stone and is gradually absorbed by the sword. I'm not sure whether my mother added a power-" She broke off.
"What's wrong?" asked Danilo, suddenly alert.
"Elfgate," Arilyn said softly. "That has to be it."
Danilo looked thoroughly bewildered. "I beg your pardon?"
The half-elf drew the moonblade and pointed to the bottommost rune. "When we were in the Drunken Dragon, the mage Coril deciphered this mark to read 'elfgate.'" Her face grew more animated as she tapped the ancient scroll laid out before them. "This traces the moonblade's history from its creation until it passed to my mother. There were seven wielders, and we know seven of the sword's magic powers: rapid strike, glowing to warn of coming danger, silent warning of danger present, dreamwarning, fire resistance, casting illusions over the wielder, and elfshadow." As she spoke, she counted off the powers on her hand.
"Go on," urged Danilo, catching some of her excitement.
"Look at the sword," she said triumphantly. "There are eight runes. The final one, elfgate, must refer to the power my mother gave the sword. That has to be it!" The half-elf turned to Schoonlar. "Can you check and see whether you have any information concerning something called elfgate?"
Their assistant bowed and withdrew. He returned almost immediately, looking deeply troubled. "The files are sealed," he said without preamble.
Arilyn and Danilo exchanged worried looks. "Well, who can unseal them?" Danilo asked. Schoonlar hesitated. "Surely telling us the names can do no harm," Danilo said persuasively.
"I suppose not," the man conceded. "The only persons who can open the files are Queen Amlaruil of Evermeet, Lord Erlan Duirsar of Evereska, Laeral the mage, and Khelben Arunsun of Waterdeep."
Arilyn's face darkened. "I knew it. Khelben already has the answers, doesn't he?"
"I wouldn't be surprised if he's got most of them," Danilo admitted.
"Why send us here?"
"Like everyone else allied to the Harpers, Khelben likes to keep secrets," the nobleman said. "He also likes to collect them. If there's one puzzle piece he lacks, he's probably hoping we'll find it."
"Such as?"
"Well, such as who's